{"nrhp_refnum":"85002839","name":"Reef House","other_names":["Sternberg House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"411 S. Poplar St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Carbondale","county":"Jackson County","state":"IL","lat":37.723234871000045,"lon":-89.22135746199996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-11-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A story-and-a-half Queen Anne cottage at 411 S. Poplar Street in Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois, built around 1892 by William A. Reef for his parents, brothers and himself.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an unusual survivor of the decorated Queen Anne cottage in Carbondale, since most similar houses from that period have been demolished or altered beyond recognition. It keeps its original siding, stickwork, patterned shingles and distinctive south-side structural awnings. It may also be the work of carpenter A.M. Etherton, and it has always been a single-family home.","narrative":"Built around 1892 at 411 S. Poplar Street in Carbondale, Illinois, this story-and-a-half cottage was erected by William A. Reef for his parents, his brothers and himself. Clapboards cover the first floor and fishscale shingles the half story above. Stickwork, half timbering in the south gable and an off-center porch with turned posts give it a Queen Anne character. Most original interior woodwork, the front door and the open stairway with turned balusters survive, and the house still sits on its rough stone foundation. The nomination presents it as a rare remaining example of a decorated Queen Anne cottage in Carbondale, where most comparable houses have been demolished or heavily altered. Its siding, gables and south-side structural awnings remain largely intact. Its closeness to two known houses by carpenter A.M. Etherton, along with its detailing, suggests he may have built it. Four families have owned it, and it has always served as a single-family home, avoiding the changes that often follow conversion to multiple units.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific dates 1890-92)","architect_builder":"Possibly A.M. Etherton","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied private residence in excellent condition; altered in 1952 when the northeast porch was enclosed and a small stable was demolished.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.830458-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/19/8930/28893019/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/85002839.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002839/64e667dbcf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002839/64e667dbcf-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reef_House_in_Carbondale,_southern_side.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reef_House_in_Carbondale,_southern_side.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893019","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16899201"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/jackson-county/reef-house-85002839/"}